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חָלָה châlâh — properly, to be rubbed or worn

pronounced khaw-law' · Strong's H2470 · 75 occurrences in the Hebrew Bible · 7 stems: Qal (Pa'al), Pi'el, Niph'al, Hiph'il, Hitpa'el, Hoph'al, Pu'al

Translated in the KJV as beseech, diseased, grief, be grieved, grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, × pray, make prayer, be (fall.

a primitive root (compare H2342, H2470, H2490); properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreat.

châlâh in each stem

Qal (Pa'al) 37×

Simple · active — the plain action; the subject does it

Participle (active) 17Perfect (qatal) 16Infinitive construct 3Wayyiqtol 1

חֹלֶ֑ה Gen 48:1 Participle (active), masculine singular

And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (KJV)

וְחָלִ֥יתִי Judg 16:7 Perfect (qatal), 1st person common singular

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. (KJV)

וְחָלִ֥יתִי Judg 16:11 Perfect (qatal), 1st person common singular

And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man. (KJV)

Pi'el 17×

Intensive · active — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject does it

Perfect (qatal) 5Wayyiqtol 4Infinitive construct 3Imperative 2Imperfect (yiqtol) 2Sequential perfect (weqatal) 1

וַיְחַ֣ל Exod 32:11 Wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular

And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? (KJV)

חִלָּ֥ה Deut 29:21 Perfect (qatal), 3rd person masculine singular

And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law: (KJV)

חִלִּ֑יתִי 1Sam 13:12 Perfect (qatal), 1st person common singular

Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. (KJV)

Niph'al 10×

Simple · passive — the plain action; the subject has it done to them

Participle (active) 4Perfect (qatal) 3Participle (passive) 3

נַחֲלָ֖ה Isa 17:11 Participle (active), feminine singular

In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow. (KJV)

נַחְלָ֖ה Jer 10:19 Participle (active), feminine singular

Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. (KJV)

נֶחְל֖וּ Jer 12:13 Perfect (qatal), 3rd person common plural

They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the Lord. (KJV)

Hiph'il

Causative · active — causing someone or something to do the action; the subject does it

Perfect (qatal) 3Participle (active) 1

מַחֲלָה Prov 13:12 Participle (active), feminine singular

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. (KJV)

הֶֽחֱלִ֔י Isa 53:10 Perfect (qatal), 3rd person masculine singular

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (KJV)

הֶחֱל֥וּ Hos 7:5 Perfect (qatal), 3rd person common plural

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners. (KJV)

Hitpa'el

Intensive · reflexive — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject does it to or for themselves

Infinitive construct 1Imperative 1Wayyiqtol 1

לְהִתְחַלּ֗וֹת 2Sam 13:2 Infinitive construct

And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. (KJV)

וְהִתְחָ֑ל 2Sam 13:5 Imperative, 2nd person masculine singular

And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. (KJV)

וַיִּתְחָ֑ל 2Sam 13:6 Wayyiqtol, 3rd person masculine singular

So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. (KJV)

Hoph'al

Causative · passive — causing someone or something to do the action; the subject has it done to them

Perfect (qatal) 3

הָחֳלֵֽיתִי 1Kgs 22:34 Perfect (qatal), 1st person common singular

And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. (KJV)

הָחֳלֵֽיתִי 2Chr 18:33 Perfect (qatal), 1st person common singular

And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. (KJV)

הָחֳלֵ֖יתִי 2Chr 35:23 Perfect (qatal), 1st person common singular

And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. (KJV)

Pu'al

Intensive · passive — the action intensified, repeated or brought about; the subject has it done to them

Perfect (qatal) 1

חֻלֵּ֥יתָ Isa 14:10 Perfect (qatal), 2nd person masculine singular

All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? (KJV)

What the stems mean

A Hebrew verb is its root letters set into a pattern. The pattern — the binyan — is the grammar's way of saying three things at once: whether the action is simple, intensive or causative, and whether its subject is active, passive or reflexive. That is why one Hebrew word can need six English ones. All seven binyanim, explained ›

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Morphology from OpenScriptures MorphHB (CC BY 4.0); definitions from Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (public domain); text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex.

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